Washing-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. GRONDAHL.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 469,402. Patented Feb. 23,1892.

Q hh mwea nvmboz 076m M WWW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LARS GRONDAHII, OF RED I/VING, MINNESOTA,

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,402, dated February 23, 1892.

Application filed June 8,1891. Serial No. 395,493. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LARs GRONDAHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red ing, in the county of Goodhue, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention is designed to produce a neat and compact machine adapted to operate on large or small washings without undue wear on the clothes during the operation of washing, and when not in use to be transformed into a piece of furniture resembling an upright refrigerator; and the invention consists in certain novel features hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central vertical section of a washing-machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same on linear w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the machine open with the clothes-receiving tank removed to one side. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the machine, showing the pounder-carrying frame partly elevated upon its support. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through one of the uprights and a portion of the movable frame, showing a portion of one of the straps to elevate said frame.

In said drawings, A represents the four end uprights of the frame, which are resting upon and are secured to the sills A and the latter are united together by the bottom boards A The two rear uprights are united together their whole length by the rear boards A of the frame. The front and rear uprights are united in pairs by boards A secured to their inner face, and by horizontal strips a, secured to their outer face about half way of their height, and thusthe uprights furnish parallel guides for the vertically-movable side pieces 13 of the frame carrying the pounders C,

- cleats of secured to-the uprights near their upper ends, serving, also, to guide said frame when it is elevated to its highest point. The side pieces B are united together at the top by the stationary rear half D of the cover and at the rear by two horizontal strips 13 which serve, also, as rear supports and guides for the vertical stems O of the pounders, a lateral motion of said stems being prevented by cleats 17, secured to the strips B between the stems O and extending partly upon their inner face. Said stems are vertically slotted to make room for the cranks of the multiplecrank shaft E, which has its bearings in horizontal strips B secured to the inner side of the side pieces B. One end of said shaft extends through one of the pieces B and is provided with a crank and handle e, that may be integral with the crankshaft or provided with a socket to engage with said shaft, but removable therefrom.

Each crank of the shaft E is united to a pounder by means of a connecting-rod 0 having one end received in a cavity of said pounder and pivoted thereto at c. The front face of each pounder is provided with horizontal serrations or inverted steps, which are to press upon the clothes placed with suds in the tank F and partly revolve them under each pounding, and to facilitate this rotation the concave bottom of the tank is made semicylindrical in continuation of its vertical walls. The tank is mounted upon small wheelsf to facilitate its removal from the machine when the clothes and suds are to be placed therein or removed therefrom. To permit this removal the front A of the machine is hinged to the bottom board A and is adapted to be tipped down, as shown in Fig. 3, and make a floor level with the top of the board A The tank having a semi-cylindrical bottom similarly joined to both the front and back sides of the tank renders the latter reversible, so that it can be placed on the machine with either one of said sides foremost and the wear on said tank be evenly distributed. To facilitate the attachment of a wringer to the tank, which is preferably of tinned sheet metal, a narrow board f is suspended from one of its edges by two hooked links engaging with said edge.

To elevate the frame B, carrying the pounders, to permit the removal of the tank or to adjust the pounders to the desired height according to the amount of clothes within the tank, astrap g, of leather or other suitable material, has one end secured to the lower portion of each side frame B and is made to pass over a pulley h, secured toeach rear upright A near the upper end thereof, and the opposite end of the strap is wound around a shaft is, retained in hearings in the uprights, and upon one end of said shaft is a crankhandle 70 to revolve it. Upon the shaft 7%) is secured a ratchet wheel 10 with which a spring-pawl m is made to engage, the upper end of said pawl being secured to the upright A. To relieve the ratchet-wheel from engagement with its pawla smallcrank-shaft n is located between the pawl and the rear of the post, so that'its crank portion can be made to press the spring-pawl away from the ratchet by giving, a half-revolution to the crank-shaft n by means of its handle 41 The upper part of the machine is closed by the cover D hinged tothe rear portion D thereof, and by the front panel D hinged to the part D of the cover. This panel has a look a at one end, the bolt of which is made to engage with amortise a in one of the uprights.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a washing-machine frame having uprights at the corners, a frame B, adapted to slide between said uprights, a multiple-crank shaft and vertically-reciprocating pounders carried by said frame, and means, substantially as described, for elevating the frame B, with a removable tank located vertically under the pounders, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a washing-machine frame having uprights at the corners,aframe B, adapted to slide between said uprights, a multiple-crank shaft and vertically-reciproeating pounders carried by said frame, pulleys h, a shaft 10, mounted upon the uprights, and straps secured to the frame B and having one end wound upon the shaft 70, with a tank under the pounders, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a washing-machine frame having uprights at the corners, a vertically-movable frame B between said uprights, a multiple-crank shaft, and verticallyreciprocating pounders carried by said frame, with a tank having parallel vertical sides and a semi-cylindrical bottom, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a washing-machine frame having uprights at the corners, a vertically-movable frame between said uprights, a multiple-crank shaft, and vertically-reciprocating pounders carried by said frame, with v a tank carried on wheels, and the front A", hinged to the frame and adapted to carry and guide the tank, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LARS GRONDAHL.

Witnesses:

O. A. RASMUSSEN, EINAR GRONDAHL. 

